2008-09 Mershon Center Research Projects (Ideas, Identities and Decisional Processes)http://hdl.handle.net/1811/468662015-03-31T21:00:50Z2015-03-31T21:00:50ZFirms and the Welfare State: A Test of Employer Support for Economic SecurityWatson, Sarahttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/468722012-12-28T23:59:50Z2009-01-01T00:00:00ZFirms and the Welfare State: A Test of Employer Support for Economic Security
Watson, Sara
During the 20th century, Western nations have adopted social
protection as a way to stem conflict between capital and labor, and to
ensure economic growth. Measures such as employment protection,
unemployment insurance, and wage bargaining have helped pave the
way for an era of social stability in Europe and the United States. Using France and Germany as cases, Watson plans to test this idea by
analyzing data from the stock market. Specifically, she is looking at
what happens to a company's stock price when social protection
measures are passed. Her idea is that the type of skills a company
requires from its labor force will determine how its share price
responds to protectionist legislation because such laws affect the
incentives for workers to invest in different types of skills.
Research project funded in academic year 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2009-01-01T00:00:00ZWatson, SaraThe Concept of Time in the KoranTamer, Georgeshttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/468712012-12-28T23:47:51Z2009-01-01T00:00:00ZThe Concept of Time in the Koran
Tamer, Georges
Georges Tamer has spent his career studying philosophy and Arabic and
Islamic literature and culture. Recently, he made an important
discovery: Many of the images used to describe time in the Koran were
also used not just in pre-Islamic Arab society, but also in ancient
Greece and late antiquity. In this book project, Tamer plans to explore the perception of past,
present and future in the Koran, and to study how worldly time is
related to the Hereafter. He will also ask whether the Koranic concept
of time corresponds to the idea of Islam as "submission" or
"subordination," and how far it allows for freedom of will. Finally,
Tamer will discuss how the concept of time influences the political
behavior of Muslims.
Research project funded in academic year 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2009-01-01T00:00:00ZTamer, GeorgesUnveiling Modernity: Post-Colonial Islamic Reforms in Ghana and Burkina Faso, 1950-2000Kobo, Ousmanhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/468702012-12-28T23:49:21Z2009-01-01T00:00:00ZUnveiling Modernity: Post-Colonial Islamic Reforms in Ghana and Burkina Faso, 1950-2000
Kobo, Ousman
The end of European colonialism was a watershed moment in West
Africa. Throughout the region, a new group of reformers challenged
the political, social, and religious dominance of mystical Islam. The
reformers condemned the belief in supernatural forces as superstitious
and tried to suppress local customs as contrary to the teachings of
Prophet Muhammad. By the 1970s, these reformers had a large
following among urban dwellers, especially the younger generation of
elites educated in European institutions.
Why did these reformers have such mass appeal? By tracing
developments in Ghana and Burkina Faso from 1950 to 2000, Kobo
argues that Wahhabism, the doctrine promoted by 18th century Arab
reformer Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, gave the reformers a way to
reconcile Western modernity with Islamic faith.
Research project funded in academic year 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2009-01-01T00:00:00ZKobo, OusmanThe Development of Islamist Insurgency: Egypt, 1986-1999Jenkins, J. Craighttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/468692012-12-29T00:02:13Z2009-01-01T00:00:00ZThe Development of Islamist Insurgency: Egypt, 1986-1999
Jenkins, J. Craig
From 1986 to 1999, Egypt experienced a wave of Islamist violence as
474 attacks killed and injured over 2,000 people. Perhaps most
notable was the 1997 attack in Luxor in which 10 German tourists were
killed. The Egyptian government responded to the violence with a
campaign of repression through arrests, trials, and executions. By 1999
the violence had dissipated, though some insurgents went on to form
the core of al-Qaida.
What explains the rise and decline of the Islamist insurgency? Jenkins
set out to answer this question by examining the pattern of attacks
against four variables.
Research project funded in academic year 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2009-01-01T00:00:00ZJenkins, J. CraigInter-relations between Political and Demographic Change in the 20th CenturyCasterline, Johnhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/468682012-12-28T23:54:10Z2009-01-01T00:00:00ZInter-relations between Political and Demographic Change in the 20th Century
Casterline, John
Global demographic change since 1950 has been the most rapid in
human history. Fertility rates in the most populous regions of Asia,
Africa and Latin America have fallen to half and mortality rates have
fallen to a quarter of their post-World War II levels. In this project, Casterline is
undertaking a comprehensive study of the relationship between
political factors and demographic dynamics across all major countries
in Asia, Africa, and Latin America from 1950 to 2000.
Research project funded in academic year 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2009-01-01T00:00:00ZCasterline, JohnSudanese Perspectives on the Darfur ConflictSikainga, Ahmadhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/362172011-02-22T17:59:31Z2008-01-01T00:00:00ZSudanese Perspectives on the Darfur Conflict
Sikainga, Ahmad
Since 2004, the Sudanese region of Darfur has been the scene of a violent conflict that the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis and the United States labels genocide.
According to reports, Arab Janjaweed militias hired by the Sudanese government have been launching raids, bombings, and attacks on villages in Darfur. Their targets are African-Muslim civilians who
support rebel groups seeking political representation and economic reparations. The violence and destruction has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 2 million people from their homes. The tragic events in Darfur have attracted an unprecedented amount of international attention, yet this attention has focused on the human drama rather than analyzing the nature and root causes of the conflict. The Darfur tragedy has been simplified into accounts of "Arabs" killing "Africans," sustaining old stereotypes about Africa as a
"dark continent" that is uniquely afflicted by ethnic and tribal wars.
Research project funded in academic years 2007-08 and 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZSikainga, AhmadRadicals on the Road: Third World Internationalism and American Orientalism during the Viet Nam EraWu, Judy Tzu-Chunhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/362152011-02-22T17:59:31Z2008-01-01T00:00:00ZRadicals on the Road: Third World Internationalism and American Orientalism during the Viet Nam Era
Wu, Judy Tzu-Chun
The Vietnam War was the longest conflict in American history, defining
the political consciousness of a generation. In this book project, Judy
Wu explores the lives of Americans who criticized their government's intervention in Southeast Asia
Research project funded in academic years 2007-08 and 2008-09; Consists of three case studies: African American economist Robert Span Browne's travels and politics; Eldridge Cleaver's 1970 U.S. People's Anti-Imperialist Delegation to North Korea, North Viet Nam, and the People's Republic of China; and the 1971 Indochinese Women's Conferences held in Canada.; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZWu, Judy Tzu-ChunImmigrants, Assimilation, and Cultural Threat: A Political ExplorationMughan, Anthonyhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/362142011-02-22T17:59:31Z2008-01-01T00:00:00ZImmigrants, Assimilation, and Cultural Threat: A Political Exploration
Mughan, Anthony
Immigration is a controversial issue, dividing Democratic and Republican parties in the Untied States and contributing to the
emergence of far-right parties in Europe such as the National Front in France, Vlaams Beland in Belgium, and Dansk Folkeparti in Denmark.
Anthony Mughan sees the controversy over immigration as a product of globalization, and his research sheds light on it by using focus groups to uncover perceptions of immigrant assimilation.
Research project funded in academic years 2007-08 and 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZMughan, AnthonyColonization in Reverse: Diaspora, Diplomacy, and the 'People's Art'Ferris, Lesleyhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/361032011-02-22T17:59:31Z2008-01-01T00:00:00ZColonization in Reverse: Diaspora, Diplomacy, and the 'People's Art'
Ferris, Lesley
For modern multicultural societies to remain stable and secure, a variety of national and ethnic groups must negotiate their identities. Few events represent a successful negotiation as well as the Notting
Hill Carnival, held each August in London. In this project, Lesley Ferris examines how Trinidadians used the carnival to negotiate their identity in modern Great Britain, a process poet Louise Bennett called "colonization in reverse."
Research project funded in academic years 2007-08 and 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZFerris, LesleyThe Marxist Rhetoric- On the Relationship of Practice and TheoryHamilton, Richardhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/294172011-02-22T17:59:30Z2007-01-01T00:00:00ZThe Marxist Rhetoric- On the Relationship of Practice and Theory
Hamilton, Richard
The success of the Marxist doctrine poses an important problem: Given the failure of its major propositions, the persistence of capitalism, and the absence of workingclass
revolutions in capitalist countries, how did Marxism gain such wide influence? In this project, Hamilton sets out to answer this question by considering three
things. First, he assesses the major propositions of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. Second, he reviews Marx and Engels’ political activities to test their arguments
about theory and practice. Finally, he examines subsequent analyses of Marx and
Engels’ work.
Research project funded in academic years 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2007-01-01T00:00:00ZHamilton, RichardRace Frontiers- Indian Slavery in Colonial New EnglandNewell, Margarethttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/294162011-02-22T17:59:30Z2007-01-01T00:00:00ZRace Frontiers- Indian Slavery in Colonial New England
Newell, Margaret
Historians of racial slavery in America generally focus on the encounter between
Europeans and Africans, especially in the South. Yet, Native Americans represented
a majority of those enslaved by European colonists in much of North America
through the early 18th century. In her Mershon-supported project Race Frontiers: Indian Slavery in Colonial New
England, Margaret Newell reconstructs this history of slavery and its devastating
impact on Native Americans in New England.
Research project funded for academic years 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2007-01-01T00:00:00ZNewell, MargaretTurkey: Islam, Nationalism and ModernityFindley, Carterhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/294152011-02-22T17:59:30Z2006-01-01T00:00:00ZTurkey: Islam, Nationalism and Modernity
Findley, Carter
Turkey: Islam, Nationalism and Modernity examines Turkey’s transition from
Ottoman empire to nation-state. From 1789 to the present, Findley argues, the
Turks triangulated over time in relation to three reference points: Islam,
nationalism, and modernity.
Choices among these reference points led to the rise of two strategies for engaging
with modernity: a radical, secular current of fast, disruptive change, and a
conservative, Islamic current of slow, adaptive change. As the Turks negotiated
their transition from a multinational, Islamic empire to a Turkish nation-state, the
two currents interacted to shape modern Turkish society.
Research project funded in academic years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09.; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2006-01-01T00:00:00ZFindley, CarterDemiurgic Politics: The Republic and TimaeusSilverman, Allanhttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/294102011-02-22T17:59:29Z2006-01-01T00:00:00ZDemiurgic Politics: The Republic and Timaeus
Silverman, Allan
Demiurgic Politics is a book-length study of the political and ethical theory in
Plato’s Republic and its influence on the contemporary neo-conservative
movement.
Research project funded in academic years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2006-01-01T00:00:00ZSilverman, AllanPublic Sector Capacity and Political Stability in Latin AmericaKurtz, Marcushttp://hdl.handle.net/1811/294092011-02-22T17:59:29Z2005-01-01T00:00:00ZPublic Sector Capacity and Political Stability in Latin America
Kurtz, Marcus
Why do some Latin American governments maintain stable democracies while
others succumb to political unrest? To answer this question, Marcus Kurtz examined
the institutional capacity of states, or their ability to respond to economic
inequality and political unrest in ways that prevent escalation into crises that
threaten the regime.
Research project funded in academic years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09; The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.
2005-01-01T00:00:00ZKurtz, Marcus